Strawberry Ice Cream
by Chibi-anne666
Summary: Princess Rukia Kuchik will be forced to make a deal with Ichigo when Urahara uncovers her secret. But will they be able to work together and overcome their opposite personalities. AU Ichiruki T for now, might change to M
1. The Princess and the Punk

**Hi there! This is my first fanfiction ever and I hope you will like it and i really hope the first chapter isn't too long! Yeah I know I suck at titles...=_=" lol Anyway...Enjoy and don't forget to review! I would really appreciate constructive criticism. **

**Thank you!**

**Edit: I've rewritten some sentences and made changes to the layout of the texte so it would be easier to read I've also corrected most of my typing errors if you see any more please tell me! THANX**

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Ichigo Kurosaki woke up quite suddenly, sat up in his bed and started scratching his head. _That was weird_, he thought as he remembered parts of his dream. A sea of black butterflies had flown in his bedroom window, in the middle of it he had caught glimpses of a figure he assumed was a girl due to her rather petite figure, shoulder length raven hair and dark violet eyes.

At one point it had seemed to him that she was reaching out to him, maybe even asking for help. He didn't quite remember. The butterflies had flown away and the girl had vanished along with them. The next thing he remembered was a city. A _sideways _city with a tall man dressed in a black torn up cloak. He also had long hair and was wearing orange sunglasses. That man was seemed familiar to him so he asked, " Who are you?" The stranger chuckled

"You should already know," he answered cryptically. It started raining. Then Ichigo had woken up.

"ICHI-NII! Come and eat breakfast or you'll be late for school!" his younger sister, Yuzu, shouted from the kitchen. _Shit! _Ichigo looked at his clock, which was ringing loudly. _How long have I been sitting here_. He got dressed in as fast as he could, ran down stairs, avoided his father's flying kick, ate as fast as he could and ran out the door.

Karin, Yuzu's twin sister, jumped over the twitching mass that was her father, Isshin, before walking out the door.

"Come on, Yuzu! Or we're gonna be late too!" She rolled her eyes knowing her sister was probably helping their idiot father get up.

"Leave him, he'll be fine!" Yuzu ran out and caught up with her sister. They laughed as they saw their brother in the distance running up the hill.

"Maybe we should have told him we changed the minutes on his clock." Karin said with a sly smile.

" I would have told him but he ran so fast I didn't have time to say a word" Yuzu answered with an innocent smile.

* * *

Ichigo was running as fast as he could. He was running so fast he had trouble breaking in front of the school. _SHIT!_ He thought. _No one is outside! I must be lat_e_!_ He ran up to his classroom, opened the door violently and bowed down.

"Please forgive me, Sensei! I was…" he lifted his head. _WHAT THE HELL! No one is here!_ He looked at the clock.

"I'M 30 MINUTS EARLY?" He yelled. _I'm so gonna killed theme when I get back home. _He had figured his family was responsible for the bad joke. He sighed and sat at his desk. _I might as well just wait it out, _He thought. Ichigo looked out the window and saw a strange limousine stop out side.

He opened the window to take a better look. A tall red haired man, dressed in the school uniform, stepped out of the limo. _What a weirdo_, ichigo thought _His hair is even crazier than mine. _The man had arranged his flamboyant red hair in a big spiky ponytail and had what seemed to Ichigo, tattooed forehead and eyebrows.

The man seemed to reach in the limo for something. That something turned out to be some one's hand. The red haired man helped a very petite student out of the car. _I can't be_, the orange haired teen thought. It was her! The girl he had dreamed of. Her raven hair, her petit figure. It had to be her. He couldn't see her eyes from that distance but it just _had_ to be her.

He could hear her voice ringing in his ears. " ICHIGOOOOOOOOO!" He remembered. Yes, in his dream, she had called out to him and reached out to him for help. Ichigo was sure he had yelled her name back but he couldn't remember what it was. He had tried to catch her but she had slipped out of his grasp into the sea of black butterflies. The despair in her voice was heart wrenching. Even now, as he remembered it his chest tightened.

A third person came out of the car. He was tall with long black hair. He wore a black suite, and had a long white scarf around his neck. He turned to the red haired man.

"Renji! If anything happens to her I will personally have you taken care of," he said coolly " Do I make myself clear?"

Ichigo heard their words as if he had been standing right beside them.

"Yes! Sir!" the red haired man answered with a military salute. The black haired man then turned to the small black haired woman.

" Remember going to public school is a privilege that can easily be taken away. If anyone discovers your true identity you will come back to study at home with your tutor. Understood?" He asked.

" Yes Nii-sama! I understand. I can't thank you enough," she answered as she bowed her head.

"It _is_ her!" Whispered Ichigo as he recognized her voice. Lost in thought the orange haired teen didn't hear the rest of the conversation. He didn't even notice the tall black haired man step back in the limo and leave.

* * *

Rukia Kuchiki waved her brother goodbye then skipped happily towards the school. This is what she'd always wanted: a normal life with normal classmates and normal friends. Ever since the royal family, at the request of her older sister, had adopted her. Now she would finally get it! A normal, high school student life. No protocol. No curtsies and no one calling her… "Princess!" she heard coming form behind her.

She sighed and turned to see her bodyguard and childhood friend, Renji Abari, running towards her.

"Renji! How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that! You know I hate it! And when we are here we have to act like brother and sister! Got it?" she scolded him.

" Sorry Pri… ah, I mean Rukia" he apologized. " I should be more careful from now on." Rukia looked annoyed

"Stop bowing! Stupid!" She quickly turned around and started running towards the school. "Last one to find our classroom it a rotten egg!" she yelled out.

Renji smiled as he remembered the times they had spent together as children. _She hasn't changed on bit_. He thought _not even after becoming a princess, not even after becoming the heir of the royal family._ Well at least that is what Renji wanted to think but he knew he was lying to had changed. He knew the death of her sister had affected her greatly. Ever since she had taken on the Kuchiki name, that day she had taken a cold a distant expression only shedding a single quite tear as they buried Hisane. She never really acted like her self again. Today was actually the closest she had ever been to her old happy ways. He sighed. "Hey! Wait up!" the red haired man yelled as he ran after the princess.

* * *

Still lost in thought, Ichigo, didn't notice his classmates arriving. It was only when Keigo

came running towards him screaming "ICHIGO!" that he noticed the classroom was almost full. He easily dogged his friend, who landed with a rather loud thud behind him.

Mizuiro also greeted Ichigo in a much calmer and less painful way. Inoue came bouncing in the class waving with a huge smile on her face followed closely by Tasuki who punch Ichigo's shoulder, Uryu barely glanced at him, and chad gave a small nod of greeting.

As Keigo was getting up the teacher walked in ordering everyone to their seats. "Alright people! I'd like you all to meet your new classmates. " She gestured to the door and (you guessed it) a small dark haired girl and a tall red haired (_baboon_ thought Ichigo) man stepped in the classroom. Ichigo felt his heart sink down to his stomach.

He couldn't keep his eyes of her as she introduced herself. " Hello! Nice to meet you all." She said with a smile "My name is Rukia Ku… Abarai" Ichigo noted her hesitation. It had been really short but he was sure she almost said something else.

"Hello! My name is Renji Abarai!" Said the man standing beside Rukia. The teacher looked at them with surprise "Are you siblings?" she asked. Renji, Ichigo noticed, seemed uncomfortable while Rukia on the other hand just smiled.

Anyone who would have seen it would have said it was a very honest and sincere smile but Ichigo was not fooled he knew she was putting on an act. He could see sadness in her eyes and for some reason it made his heart tighten. He didn't know why but he really disliked the idea of her being sad and hurt. He didn't like the idea of anyone being sad and hurt for that matter. How ever, thought he didn't realize it, his feelings were slightly different this time. He wondered was she was so unhappy. Why she seemed so lonely. _Pretty girls like you shouldn't carry that kind sadness in their hearts. _

"Actually we are cousins." The dark haired girl said "I was adopted by my aunt and uncle after my parents died when I was still to young to remember."

"Oh I'm so sorry" the teacher apologized.

"It's nothing really." Rukia replied "I am at peace with their deaths now. I got over it a long time ago."

"Hum, yes well I suppose you should get seated then." Said the teacher trying to change the subject.

"Let's see," she looked trough the classroom " Rukia, go sit over there" she pointed out the seat beside Ichigo's "and Renji you can sit there." She pointed out a seat at the opposite side of the classroom.

Renji threw a worried glace at Rukia but she didn't seem to notice as she went to her assigned seat. He kept doing the same all through out the first class hopping she would notice but she seemed completely oblivious.

In fact Rukia was to busy glancing at the student next to her. It seemed every time she looked down on her desk or up at the black board she felt watched. Every time she glanced at him he was never looking at her. But some how she knew it was him and it started to irritate her.

After a while Rukia could barely concentrate on what the teacher was saying…To keep her mind of him she started sketching in her notebook. She drew little bunnies on every corner of every page. Without realizing it she started to smile.

_Wow_, Ichigo thought catching another glimpse of her, _she looks beautiful when she smiles for real._ Then he caught a glimpse of what she was drawing. _What the hell? Are they… rabbits?_ He couldn't really tell. _They look like something a five year old would draw._ Ichigo smiled and started scribbling something on a small piece of paper as the bell rang for lunch.

Nothing, not one force, not one being in the universe could explain what possessed Ichigo Kurosaki to walk passed Rukia's desk and drop the small piece of paper. Maybe it was momentary folly. Maybe it was some sort of twisted death wish. Maybe it was a disturbance in the force that had caused his IQ to drop to minus 9000. No one would ever know. The only certainty was that he immediately regretted the gesture.

_What am I thinking? _He thought. _This is so childish._ He quickly tried to escape the classroom before she read it. It was too late. She had read it. Twice.

_Would you quite staring at me you're making me nervous._

_P.S. Your drawings suck!_

Rukia sent her notebook flying across the room. Ichigo felt a shape pain in the back of his head. "What the hell did you do that for!" he yelled as stomped up to her. "What the hell did you insult me for?" she retorted staring right back at him with fierce determination. Renji considered trying to break them up but decided against it when he saw the lightning coming out of their eyes. _After all she is a big girl, she can take care of her self, _he thought.

"I wasn't insulting you I was stating a fact! "

"Moron!"

"Midget!"

"Peasant!"

"Bitch!"

"OH! THAT IS IT! I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS NOW!"

"BRING IT ON SHORT STUFF! I usually have a policy against hitting little girls but I'll make an exception for you!"

" I'm _so_ touched!"

Without so much as a warning Rukia Ran towards him and punched him so hard he flew across the room. He quickly got back on his feet and ran towards her! He avoided a few of her punches and then he managed to kick her of her feet and she fell to the ground with a large thud. He smirked. As she stood up she grabbed the nearest desk and flung it at her opponent.

Ichigo avoided the improvised projectile and decided it would be best to immobilize her before she killed some innocent bystander. He ran towards her like a football player and tried to tackle her to the ground. That was a big mistake. He landed on the ground face first than felt a shape pain in his arm. Rukia was now sitting on top of him pinning him to the ground by pushing his arm on to his back.

Renji, now having finished his lunch, was starting to grow a little worried. He decided it might be time for him to intervene… "You know maybe you guys should stop this now…"

"STAY OUT OF THIS YOU IDIOT!" the dueling duo shouted before sending Renji flying out of the room with a combo double punch (9000 hit. _Over kill_). _O.K. …I'm staying __**way**__ out of this_, He thought getting painfully back on his feet.

Renji took the time to yell, " If you guys don't stop you'll get in trouble! Don't say I didn't warn you!" before fleeing with many other students who now feared for their lives.

" KUROSAKI! ABARAI! PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE! NOW!" he heard in the distance. _Boy, I'm glad I stay out of that, _he smiled_, though the captain will probably have my head for not protecting her._

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_Great,_ Ichigo thought as he walked back home. _Detention, after school, every night for a whole week, with her of all people! Can my life get any more screwed up today?_ He would soon regret ever asking…


	2. The Damsel in the Dark

**Author's note: I'm really truly sorry it took me so long to up-date… I was busy…then I ran out of inspiration... then I forgot… But I finally remembered and got around to finish this chapter:**

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Rukia was furious and was trying with every fiber of her body not to show it as she stomped out of the principal's office. She walked quickly; in fact she was almost running. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and…him. Ichigo Kurosaki.

"It's all his fault" she mumbled to her self " I can't believe I ended up at the principal's office. On the first day!" Renji, who had been following her discreetly, soon joined her.

"So? How did it go?" he asked.

The raven-haired girl spun around and gave him an icy glare, which sent shivers down his spine.

"I don't was to talk about it!" she hissed. He took it as a warning and didn't push his luck any further. They remained silent while walking to the limousine hiding in a dark ally two blocks away. It was a safety measure so the other student would assume they walked home.

As soon as they had turned the corner Rukia sensed something was wrong. The smell of fresh blood invaded her lungs making her nauseous. The driver of the limo had been brutally murdered. He was, to say the least, in a state too awful for words. Rukia held her hand over her mouth and turned away in disgust. She knew what had caused this. It was a Hollow. Tortured and mutilated souls that had lost their way or the souls of already corrupt living such as killers and murderers.

Rukia sensed Renji pull out his sword and she was about to do the same when she was violently slammed against the wall. She heard Renji call out her name before she lost consciousness. Every thing was dark. So dark. She felt cold, lost and alone as though she had been completely swallowed up by the darkness. She wanted to cry out for help but couldn't.

* * *

Ichigo was slowly walking home when he heard "RUKIA! NO!" echoing behind him. His blood froze in his veins. His heart had stopped beating. Without really thinking he started running. His protective instincts had kicked in. Ichigo had never been one to seek out fights but when it came to protecting someone he was all about kicking butt and chewing gum. Unfortunately he had run out of gum in kindergarten.

The orange haired teen didn't know where he was going but his feet just wouldn't stop.

When he got there he nearly vomited. The smell was nauseating and what he saw was almost too much for him to stomach. As he averted his eyes from the gruesome sight he saw some movement further down in the dark alley. He squinted and saw Renji fighting off some sort of beast with a sword. The red haired man appeared to be panting and wounded. _Wait!_ Ichigo thought. _If Renji is over there then where is Rukia! _He stepped closer to the parked limousine carefully avoiding stepping in the bloody pieces sprawled across the asphalt. As he got closer he saw a small figure near the wall.

"Rukia!" he whispered. She didn't answer. He got a little closer trying a not to get noticed by the creature that Renji was fighting. Kneeling cautiously beside the raven-haired girl he gently lifted her head. She was bleeding. Without thinking about it he took off his shirt and tied it around her head to stop the bleeding. If there was one useful thing his stupid father had ever taught him it was the basics of medicine. His improvised bandage would to do the trick till he could get her to the family clinic._ At least she wont die of blood lose just yet._ He thought grimly.

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A few block away, a blond man sat on the floor watching TV. The screen showed images of a red haired man fighting some sort of monster. " Is anything good on?" asked a voice behind him. The man didn't bother to turn around. Slowly a tall curvy figure approached him.

" Same old. Same old." He answered, "The young and helpless teenagers get attacked in a dark alley and die. What can I say? Theses late night shows are all the same."

He sighed. The ebony woman looked at him disapprovingly then sighed as well.

" I suppose I should go help them then shouldn't I." She was going to leave when the man caught her hand and gave her a look from under his stripped hat.

"Wait! Wait…Look!" he said as he gestured for her to sit again. "It looks as thought a charming young hero has appeared," he whispered with a sly smile. "Maybe he can save the day! And/or the princess!"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Kisuke! This isn't a movie and that bum is just a student passing by! They will all get killed if I don't go!" she hissed.

"Watch and learn, Yoruichi darling. Watch and learn…" he replied cryptically. He pointed at the screen. "That young fellow right there seems to have the potential. Look! He can see them. He can see the hollow!"

With closer inspection it did in fact seem as though the student could see the thing. If he didn't he was sure trying dammed hard to avoid even being seen for nothing.

"You might be right… But I'm still going!" Yoruichi said with fierce determination.

"Fine! Fine." Kisuke answered back nonchalantly "Here take this" he said as he pulled out a strange looking camera from his sleeve. The tall ebony woman took a moment to inspect the device before asking, " What is it? And what does B.M.M. 3000 stand for?"

"I'm glad you asked!" The blond man pulled some charts out of nowhere and pointed at them with his cane, which he also had pulled out of thin air. "What you are holding in your hands, kitten, is the first prototype of my latest invention: the Black Mail Maker 3000. Let me explain how it works. At the simple touch of a button you can turn any plain old scene into something that can be used to …um…make people more cooperative let's say."

"What exactly do you want me to do with it?" She asked skeptically.

"Oh just take a few shots of our leading couple", he smirked.

"Oh! And please stay out of it unless it is absolutely necessary. I want to see what happens with this one!" He made a fake pout face before Yoruichi slammed the door.

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There was a large clattering sound pulled Ichigo out of his thoughts. The young man had been so busy tending the injured Rukia he hadn't paid any attention to the battle. He lifted his head to see what had happened. Right next to him laid a sword. Renji's sword! Renji himself was now lying on face down covered in his own blood. He saw the beast slowly getting closer and closer. Without a second thought Ichigo picked up Renji's sword. As soon as he did he felt prickling in his fingers as thought the blade was trying burn him. Ichigo didn't care. The orange haired teen only tightened his grasp the blade.

Ichigo ran to the creature with speed he didn't know he had. He jumped in the air and sliced the monster in half. Both halves felt to the ground and shattered on impacted. He kept his guard up for a few moments to make sure it wouldn't come back or that there weren't any more of them. As he relaxed a little Ichigo let go of the sword, which had burned his hands.

Ichigo grabbed his cell phone from his school bag and called his father. "Do you know what time it is?" he heard his father yell "It's way passed suppertime! You are going to be grounded for a whole week! And…"

"DAD!" Ichigo yelled back "This is an emergency can you get here fast? There are two injured" After hearing the serious tone of his son Isshin hardly even took the time to write down the address and headed out the door with Yuzu and Karin.

Ichigo felt something grasp his leg and looked down. "Renji! You're still alive?" he said half surprised half relived.

"Shut up! Give me my sword!" Renji panted. The teen kicked the sword towards its owner not wanting to touch it again. Renji's hand let go of Ichigo's leg and landed on the blade. The sword seemed to glow a little then it started to shrink and retract its self into Renji's palm. Ichigo blinked a few times then shook his head and decided not to ask_. It's only gonna bring me more trouble if I do._ He thought.

On a rooftop just above them a tall purple haired woman smiled. "Well…Kisuke will be pleased" she wisped to herself as she fell back into the shadows and disappeared.

The red haired man seemed to breath much easier after absorbing his sword. " So what happened to the Hollow?" he asked.

-The creature? , Ichigo asked puzzled.

-Yeah…

-I sliced it in two with your sword!

-That's impossible!

-You must have weakened it…

-No! I mean picking up my sword. You should be burnt to a crisp right now!

Ichigo remained silent for a moment. " It burnt a little" he said hesitantly " but apart from my hands being red I'm fine." Renji couldn't believe it. He just stared blankly at Ichigo. _Could the strong spiritual energy be coming from him?_ "Impossible" he muttered as he tried to get up.

"HEY! What do you think you're doing?" Ichigo scolded, "You're badly injured and shouldn't be moving around!" Renji chuckled then started to cough violently and rolled over on his back. "Ohhh… Maybe I should take you're advise."

Ichigo scoffed. "Don't worry. My father is a doctor and he is on his way. He'll patch you up good."

-Thanks… did you call the police?

-Not yet… Besides I wouldn't know what to tell them. I have the strange feeling they wouldn't believe the truth if I told them.

-Good! No need to call them. I'll have people take care of thing here.

Ichigo raised a brow interrogatively and bit his tongue. He didn't want to get involved in what was obviously mafia stuff so he wasn't going to ask.

Renji, noticing Ichigo's uneasiness, tried to change to subject. " What happened to your shirt?"

The orange haired teen looked down at his bare chest and suddenly felt cold. " Rukia needed a bandaged and I didn't have anything else…"

"Rukia? Is she alright?" Renji asked with concern.

Ichigo walked over to her. He had propped her up against the limo. "She is fine," Ichigo said as he examined her. "The bleeding has stopped." He let his thumb linger on her cheek for a second. Renji noticed this and felt the sudden urge to throw a rock at their savior for some unknown reason.

Ichigo spun around as he heard the screeching tires of a halting car. Taken off guard he didn't see his father's feet come flying towards him. He felt a sharp pain and landed face down in a puddle of mud.

"WHAT THE HELL!" he yelled jumping back on his feet.

"That is for being late and getting detention!" his father said victoriously crossing his arms over his chest. "And what the hell happened to your shirt?"

Ichigo was going to strike back when he heard some loud coughing behind him. Renji was now folded in half coughing up blood.

"Quick! Dad! Help me get him in the car!"

Second later, Renji was lying in the back of a family van being bandaged up by two small nurses and a rough looking doctor. Ichigo had gone back to grab Rukia. He picked her up gently and was somewhat taken aback by how her breathing put him at ease.

Rukia felt the darkness around her dissipate slowly and a warm soothing feeling now replaced the cold loneliness she had felt at first.

If anyone had been listening closely they would have heard the faint clicking sound of a camera.

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**Again I'm sorry for not up-dating for 7 months…I hope you forgive me and I hope you liked this chapter! Please give me feed back! It will help me get the courage to finish the next chapter sooner!**


	3. The Doctor and the Dealer

**Wow I've been really bad with updating again…SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! Anyway, I've finally come up with a good plan for where my story was going. Before I had just been writing with only a vague idea of what was going to happen so I ran out of inspiration quickly. I hope you enjoy this new chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

Kisuke Urahara was fanning himself vigorously as he flipped through the pictures Yoruichi had brought him.

"Oh! Ho! Ho! Hoooooo!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm, raising a brow. " These are HOT! I am a genius!"

The tall ebony woman glared at him.

"You knew!" she accused in a cold decided tone.

"Knew what?" he rippled innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me! You knew he was Isshin's son!" she snapped, pounding her fists into the table.

He let out a sigh. "I had my doubts…" The blond man pulled out what looked like a criminal investigation file and slid it to his partner. She threw him a questioning glance and opened it. Her eyes widened. Their were a couple of photos; first of a orange haired baby, then of a small orange haired boy, then a teen and finally (you guessed it) that of a young man. She then peered at the rest of the info. It seemed every thing you could possibly ask about this young man was there. His name: Ichigo Kurosaki. His birthday: July 15th. His height, his weight, his blood type, his grades, his favorite color, his favorite food… _and the list just goes on! _She stared at the blonde man in disbelief. He adjusted his striped hat in embarrassment.

"Ah! Ha ha… You could say I've been keeping a eye on him." He laughed nervously.

"Kisuke! This is more then just keeping an eye on him! This is practically stalking him!" She scolded.

"Hey! I have a perfectly pure and genuine reason to keep an eye on him!" he objected. " I just so happen to be the boy's godfather. It's only natural to want to keep him safe… and-see-if-he-has-the-potential-to-fight-the-hollow…"He admitted the last part almost like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"So he is going to be a science project to you isn't he." The yellow eyes of the woman sternly stared at him. She had her arms crossed and she shook her head disapprovingly.

"Actually…I intend to train him to be the youngest, strongest, fastest there is. You know… As a subtle way to tell old man Yamamoto to shove it. I want to prove that his way are old and dusty and that the royals need to be freed of their protocol prisons." This time he stared at her directly. " He needs to understand that if he want to win the upcoming war he has to let go of the dammed traditions!"

"Well if you put it that way…" She smiled softly now. "I'm willing to help you! On one condition though: I want in on the rest of the plan!" He smiled softly back. "Of course!" He leaned in closer to her pressing his lips to her ear. Yoruichi grinned as he softly whispered his plan.

Back at the clinic after a short drive Ichigo helped his father carry the now unconscious Renji inside.

"He's pretty bad off. I need to stop his bleeding as soon as possible!" Isshin said with urgency. " Can you take care of the girl?"

Ichigo scowled with determination. "All she needs are a few stitches, her bleeding has subsided enough. Rukia isn't in any danger." He affirmed with relief in his voice. He failed to notice the glint in his father's eyes as he called the girl by her first name.

As soon as Renji was secured in a hospital bed Ichigo rushed back to retrieve Rukia who was still unconscious in the make shift ambulance their family van was. Relief washed over him when he found her still breathing and relatively well in the passenger sit. The young man carried his very petite classmate delicately inside. He suddenly gasped as he felt a very small and cold hand press on his (still) bare chest. He glanced down only the see Rukia snuggle closer to him. He guessed it was an attempt to get warmer and then he noticed the small smile on her lips. Ichigo couldn't help but feel utterly confused.

The tall boy carefully laid the small raven-haired girl on a hospital bed. He suddenly felt very cold at the loss of human contact and decided it might be best to get a clean shirt. As he sprinted through the house and up to his room he felt a blush creep on his cheeks as the thought of Rukia seeing him shirtless crossed his mind. Just the idea of her eyes on him made Ichigo feel almost naked. He quickly shook away the disturbing felling, grabbed a shirt and sprinted back down the stairs slipping the shirt over his head.

A few seconds later, he was back at Rukia's side. He gently took the make shift bandage off her head and threw the bloody shirt in the garbage. He let out a sigh of relief as he noticed her wound had completely stopped bleeding. He quickly slipped on some medical gloves and softly cleaned her forehead. He then opened a clean suture kit and patched her up carefully and put an enormous bandage over the wound and smirked at his handy work. He was glad his father had insisted he learn the basic first aid. _It's the only serious father-son activity we ever had… _

A small moan put a stop to his reminiscing. His patient seemed to be regaining consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open as if it were a tremendous effort she was making. She scanned the room searching for a clue as to where she was. The raven-haired girl was tense. She was in a totally unknown room and she could only vaguely remember were she had been in the past hours. Ichigo felt her uneasiness but wasn't sure what to do, _after all I'm probably the last person on earth she wants to see right now._

Rukia blinked and rubbed her head. "Hum… I guess I'm not dead…" she muttered to her self. She only noticed Ichigo's presence when he scoffed at her comment. She didn't know whether to be surprised, outraged or grateful. After a long and very awkward moment of silence she finally dared to ask: "Where am I…and why the fuck are you here?"

" Hey, now! Don't need to be rude to the guy who just happened to save your life! This is my father's clinic and I'm here to tend to your wounds." He replied as obnoxiously as he could. The raven-haired girl glared at him. " Where is Renji?"

"Don't worry, your cousin is going to be alright. My father is taking care of him so he should be all better in no time!" he answered as he took of his gloves and pretended to do something to prevent him self from staring at her. He didn't want to meet her eyes. The orange haired man felt like they would pierce through his soul. Those purple eyes he had seen in his dream pleading for help.

He took a deep breath and turned his back to her taking a moment to think. "This is just so fucked up…" He finally whispered.

" I saw blood. Lots and lots of blood. Then Renji…he was fighting that, that thing there. A Hallow he called it. And you, you were on the ground unconscious and then Renji lost his sword, I took it and finish the creature off… You know what I'm not really sure if any of it is real!" he rubbed the back of his head and scowled.

"Ah… So, it is you. The one with the high spiritual energy we have been sensing … So much energy neither Renji nor I could pinpoint it's exact location. To think it was coming from you all along… I have a feeling this is some sort of twisted joke…" Rukia said, talking more to herself then to Ichigo.

Addressing him directly she added: " What you saw was something most people will never know about… It's a cruse really, to know the truth. That monster was a twisted and corrupted soul tainted with sins. People like me, Renji or …you, those of us who can see them, normally we swear an oath and spend the rest of or lives hunting and disposing of these atrocious creatures. You could compare us to a secret order of exorcists or something like that…"

"I don't understand, why are you telling me all this?"

"I…I just think you have the right to know the truth." In fact, she was just as confused as he was. "Don't tell Renji I told you… We aren't really suppose to tell any one…I might get in trouble"

" Don't worry I'm not getting involved any further than I need to in this crazy ass story. I've already had enough! How about we never speak of this ever again and we ignore each other completely at school? How is that for a deal?"

" I think I'd like that… In fact I'd like that a lot!" she agreed with a weak smile.

As they smiled at each other their eyes met for a moment…

Ichigo released a breath he didn't know he was holding and ran his hand through his spiky hair.

"I guess I should probably let you rest now…there's a phone in the hall if you want to contact your family and tell them you're alright…umm, well, then, good-night…" He quickly left the room before she could see him blush out of embarrassment.

The room grew cold when Ichigo left. Rukia hugged her blanket closer to herself and pondered what to do next. She shivered at the thought of calling her brother… _He won't even hesitate; he'll take me out of school immediately._ The pounding headache she had just increased at the thought. She knew it would happen, a normal life was not eternal for her but se never expected things to go wrong so soon! One day! One fucking day and the life she always wanted would be gone. And Renji was now suffering and nearly dead because of her…She felt extremely guilty for dragging her childhood friend into this.

"What should I do?" she asked herself out loud thinking it might help her come up with an idea.

"Oh, I think I might be able to help you," said a strange voice coming from the open window "If you are willing to listen"

The source of the voice finally came in the room. He was a tall blond man, hiding his face beneath a stripped green and white hat. The man held a can in one hand and a paper fan in the other. He wore a type of traditional Japanese clothing and geta sandals.

The young woman was taken aback at first by his appetence and took a few seconds before asking: "Who the hell are you and what do you want from me?"

"I simply want to make your problems go away." The stranger replied with a quirky smirk.

The princess was not fooled. "What's the catch?" she demanded.

"Can't I simply want to help, miss Kuchiki?" he answered cryptically.

Her eyes narrowed. "Stop fooling around! Tell me who you are at once!" she ordered with fierceness in her voice.

"Oh, you're no fun" he said pouting slightly "My name is Kisuke Urahara, I know you have heard of me. The royals have probably told you all about me being a black sheep and all. But that is not important. The reason I'm here is to help you keep the normal life you want and in exchange I simply need your help to train a new hollow killer."

She raised and eyebrow " That's all?" she asked skeptically " Train a rookie? I don't buy it! And how exactly can you help me anyway?"

"Well, miss Kuchiki, I may be a black sheep in the soul society but I still have connections. I have already requested them to let me use your skills as exterminator for the district I'm currently defending from the hollow. I will assure them I've been keeping an eye out for you and that I have a more appropriate bodyguard to protect you will you are in my squad, since Lieutenant Abarai will be indisposed for a while. I'm sure they will ask me to make reports and such nonsense." He sighed in annoyance.

" I guess you could say there is a small catch with the rookie you will help me train…" he admitted, "You will have to lie to soul society and tell them he is your new bodyguard. You'll have to convince them he knows what he is doing in your reports. And you will be living with him in a small apartment near my shop. It will be more convenient for training that way."

"Really? Live with him, a complete stranger, is that necessary?" she asked, very annoyed with the idea.

"Oh! Don't worry it will be a bit like a dormitory, you will be living with a few other members of my squad and you will all have your own rooms. And your new partner is not a complete stranger!" Urahara said fanning himself with pride " You've already met! He is my godchild, his name is Ichigo Kurosaki!"

"WHAT?" Rukia shrieked "No way in hell am I gonna live under the same roof as that idiot! And how exactly is he supposed to protect me? He barely even knows what hollows are!" The blond man simply smirked and handed her a small envelope "I thought you might say that." Urahara sat on the bed casually

Rukia threw him a questioning glance and he gestured for her to open the envelope. She took a deep breath dreading the content. She dove her hand in only to discover a few pictures. Her eye grew wide in horror.

"You bastard!" She spat "These aren't real!" Her hands were now shaking in anger.

"Oh, I know that and you know that but do you think your brother will even bother checking if this is real or not before he sends you home, hum?" He replied playfully.

Lifting her gaze from the disturbing photos, Rukia could see the glint of mischief in his eyes as he tilted his head to the side to look at her. It infuriated her to see just how proud his was with himself.

"I've already made a report to your family saying you were caught of guard by a hollow and the Renji was injured. I also mentioned that Ichigo acted under my orders and saved you." He leaned towards her and looked her strait in the eyes "If you wish to keep your precious little simple life I suggest you corroborate my story…Don't worry About Renji, I'm pretty sure he won' remember a thing."

Urahara slowly got off the bed and seemed to be head for the door when he stopped. He chuckled lightly " Oh' silly me I've forgotten something" he when back to her and handed her a business card. "I expect you to bring me Ichigo Kurosaki Tomorrow after school so we may start his training. If you don't come I'll make sure your brother sees those lovely pictures of you" He smiled " Good night dear! Sweet dreams!"

With that he leaped out the window and disappeared into the night leaving Rukia utterly confused and disheartened still holding the business card in mid air

Urahara landed softly on the ground below the window. He immediately noticed a presence he hadn't felt in a long time. He turned towards the long shadows the moon light provided as it bounced of the Kurosaki clinic. The presence came into view wiping sweat off his brow. The tall man seemed exhausted his clothes were covered in blood.

"It's been a while, Kisuke." He said in a hushed voice so the girl in the room above wouldn't hear a thing.

"I must admit it has been, Isshin." the blond man answered. " How is your patient?"

"He'll live, probably won't remember much though" he paused. "You know if you wanted my son to help fight the hollow you could have asked him directly."

Urahara snickered lightly. "Yes I know I could have, but I already know his answer… He would categorically refuse my request. He would probably kick me too! Fortunately for me I know he can't refuse the request of a charming young lady." He smirked

Isshin grinned like a fool and patted his friend on the back. "Oh ho ho, you know the Kurosaki men too well, you sly dog!" Both men chuckled. "Next time you drop by, old friend, make sure to bring some sake and we will muse over the past like two old fools."

"That sounds nice." Urahara said tipping his hat slightly. With one swift jump he leaped on to a roof and disappeared quickly from Isshin's sight.

**I might add some hot and lemony chapters later. What do you all think? Good idea? Bad idea? I'm open for suggestions. **

**Don't forget to review! **

**Thank you**


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